Forces of Nature
by CleverChaos
Summary: Warren only agreed to go to homecoming to make Will jealous, but what happens when emotions are added into the equation?
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: Warren only agreed to go to homecoming to make Will jealous, but what happens when emotions are added into the equation?**

I couldn't stop thinking about Warren's smile.

It had been days since that day in the cafeteria, yet somehow his face kept invading my mind. He really was quite attractive, now that I thought about it. I shook the thought out of my head and unsuccessfully tried to shift my focus back to my homework, only to start thinking about Warren again. Even the other day when he was burning my hand he looked attractive.

"Ugh, ugh Layla." I slammed my head back onto my pillow and tossed my book aside in frustration. This was not okay. I was definitely tempted to walk over to the Paper Lantern right now, which would probably just make Warren think I was stalking him. I just wanted to see him, Will was the furthest thing from my mind.

I decided I would get off my ass and take a walk, maybe I would stop thinking about Warren, the guy that I wasn't supposed to like this much. I somehow ended up at Will's house, which was surprisingly overfilled with teenagers. I walked through the front door, noticing the immense chaos.

Will was having a party, which he hadn't invited me to. Great, not only did he not like me romantically, he didn't even like me as a friend anymore. I was about to turn around and leave when Gwen caught sight of me.

"Where's Will?" I turned and confronted her.

"Honestly, avoiding you. Look, Will knows you have a crush on him."

"He does?"

"Everyone does. Will's just too nice a guy to tell you he's not interested, not that you can take a hint. I mean, hello? He's going to Homecoming with me. He threw a party, and didn't invite _you_. You're just embarrassing him. You're just embarrassing yourself."

"Okay, I understand." My voice was quivering and I was angry at how upset I was about this. "And, um, when you see Will again, can you tell him that I never want to talk to him again?"

Gwen put on a fake smile as she said, "I'll give him the message." I had never been more tempted to use my powers to hurt someone, but I pushed the feeling down, knowing that wasn't going to solve anything. I turned to walk out, only to be confronted by Will. I walked straight past him, ignoring him, ignoring the feeling of loneliness that was creeping into my chest.

The moment I got outside the tears finally let out, and I quickly wiped them away as I walked, not even sure where I was going until I found myself standing in front of the Paper Lantern. I sat down on the wooden bench outside, which started to sprout vines immediately. I flew back up, not wanting to end up destroying the bench and was about to walk away when I physically ran into Warren, who appeared to be leaving work.

"Hippie, what are you doing here." I didn't say a word, choosing to wipe away the stray tears still on my cheeks.

"Nothing, it was stupid." I turned to walk away, but Warren grabbed my arm and pulled me back.

"This is because of him isn't it. What did the idiot do now?" I debated whether or not I should tell him and finally sighed and let it all out.

"I was thinking about…stuff…and decided to go for a walk, only to end up at his house. He was having a party and he hadn't even thought to invite me, and then Gwen came up to me and started spewing all this crap about how Will didn't want me anywhere near him, and then I left and started crying and somehow ended up here." I was out of breath by the time I had finished blurting it all out and Warren just gave me a look before breaking into a laugh. I gave him an offended look, making him laugh even harder. It was hard not to smile in response, but I continued frowning at him. He finally settled down and let out a loud breath.

"Hippie, I didn't understand a word you just said." The frown on my face intensified.

"Oh, screw it, you wouldn't care even if you did hear." I knew I was being harsh, but I had been hurt too many times tonight. The frown on my face turned into a scowl and Warren's face was suddenly oddly serious.

"I do care, I don't know why, but I do." I looked up at his face and bit my lip, wondering if he had thought about me like I'd been thinking of him the last few days. Warren took my hand and started walking, pulling me along, "Come on, I'll drive you home." I tightened my grip on his hand and followed.

"I went to Will's house and Gwen confronted me and told me that Will wasn't interested in me, and that he was too nice a guy to reject me." Warren stopped in his tracks and turned to face me.

"You realize that's complete bullshit, right? Stronghold is too much of a moron to see you like him."

"You know, I'm starting to think I don't…like him, I mean." I looked Warren in the eyes before glancing away, biting my lip again. Warren waited for a second before pulling me along again. When we stopped I was surprised to see a red motorcycle in front of Warren. Of course, he has a motorcycle, as if he couldn't get more attractive. I had always secretly found motorcycles pretty cool and sexy, not that I would ever admit it.

"It matches your personality." I remarked with a small laugh. It was the most 'Warren' thing I had ever seen. Warren said nothing, placing a helmet over my messy pinned curls before sitting down on the bike. He raised an eyebrow when I made no motion to get on, and the look sent a pleasurable tingle down my spine. I quickly snapped out of it and climbed on behind him, wrapping my arms around his muscled torso. He started the bike and revved the engine before we sped away from the restaurant.

My arms tightened around his body as he turned, and I admit that I let out a small squeal of surprise at how exhilarating it felt to be on a motorcycle with Warren of all people. Even he seemed to be having fun with it, making a point to drive fast. By the time we got to my house I was smiling, until I casually tried to get off of the bike and nearly face planted on the road before Warren caught me. I laughed at my disorientation and pulled Warren down to sit with me on the ground.

"Thanks, that was really fun." I was still laughing as I spoke, choosing to lay down on my lawn. The small shrub in the front lawn started to sprout flowers as I calmed down. My powers tended to be harder to control when I was emotional.

"You're a weird one, hippie." I giggled and smiled up at him from where I was laying. He was about to stand up when a vine wrapped around his wrist and pulled him back down.

"Oh god, sorry. I don't know where that came from." I pulled the vine off of him and gently shrunk it back down into the ground, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

"What's up with you? I didn't expect you to be this weak." My mouth flew open at his accusation.

"Excuse me. I'm sorry I can't all be tough and alone all the time, like you." I retorted, swatting his hand away when he tried to help me up.

"Tough and alone is better than weak." My arm shot up and smacked his shoulder before I even realized what I was doing.

"I am _not_ weak, you're weak." Warren looked more amused than annoyed with my anger.

"You're about as threatening as a kitten, hippie," my hand flew out to smack him again, but he caught my arm and pulled me closer to him, "you really don't want to do that."

"Don't tell me what to do." I tried to yank my arm out of his grasp, but he grabbed me by the waist, and suddenly his lips were on mine.

I struggled for a second before melting into his arms. His lips were surprisingly soft and reassuring. I noticed that even his resting temperature was warmer than most, and it was actually really comforting. My hands somehow ended up tangled in his hair while his hands tightly grasped my waist. I was panting when he finally pulled away, and I was pleased at the aroused look in his eyes. He pulled away and before I could say a word he had hopped onto his bike and driven away.

My fingers went to my lips, which were swollen and warm from the attention. Talk about a good first kiss…

I entered my house and closed the door before sinking down to the floor.

What the heck had just happened?


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary: Warren only agreed to go to homecoming to make Will jealous, but what happens when emotions are added into the equation?**

I woke up feeling more confused than ever.

Two days. It had been two days since the kiss. Two days since Warren had even glanced in my direction. This was the most frustrated I had ever felt.

I tried sitting with him at lunch yesterday, and he completely blew me off. Every time I tried to approach him he just seemed to disappear. He wasn't even at the Paper Lantern last night. It was like he wanted nothing to do with me.

Warren had made it perfectly clear at the beginning that he was just in this to screw Will over, but what if that had changed? What if Warren was starting to like me as more than a friend. To be honest, I was pretty sure I was falling for him. Too fast. I was still stuck on why he would kiss me like that. He must have some feelings, right?

I groaned, throwing my head back down on my pillow in frustration. I pulled myself out of bed, pulling on the first outfit I could find before going downstairs, not even realizing I had pulled on the only black shirt I owned; an oversized vintage band t-shirt from the concert where my parents met. I added a pair of dark jean shorts, feeling oddly Warren-esque in the outfit. I pulled my hair into a high ponytail to finish the look. As I walked downstairs I was met by my mother's shocked voice.

"Layla Rose Williams, are you wearing black?"

"Yep." I plopped down at the kitchen counter hoping my mom would just drop it.

"Layla, I've been trying to get you to wear something that isn't green or yellow for years, and you're telling me it's just that easy?" I shrugged, sighing. "Are you sure it doesn't have to do with a certain boy?" I choked on my spit when my mom spoke, erupting in coughs. My mom gave me a knowing look as she handed me a glass of water and patted my back.

"How did you know?" I asked, desperately hoping Will hadn't blabbed to his parents or something.

"Mother's intuition." I scoffed and gave her a look, making her laugh again. "Okay, okay, I may have seen you a few nights ago when Warren Peace dropped you home." I tried not to look too horrified.

"So…how much did you see?" I asked desperately hoping she hadn't seen him kiss me and run off.

"If you're talking about the kiss, then yeah, I saw." I groaned, covering my face with my hands. My mother had seen my first kiss, that wasn't embarrassing at all. "Honey, I thought it was very sweet. I'd love to meet him sometime." The thought of Warren in the same room as my mother almost made me laugh out loud.

"I would have introduced him if he hadn't run off. Why are boys so weird?" I sat down at the island and rested my head against the granite.

"Boys will be boys, dear, if you want anything done you're going to have to confront him." I groaned again, not moving from where I was. I finally sat up after a few minutes when my mom placed a slice of toast in front of me.

"I guess I might as well tell you the whole story. I basically asked Warren to take me to Homecoming, so Will would think we were together and get jealous. Warren really dislikes Will because of his father, so it didn't take much to convince him to say yes." I took a bite of my toast, waiting for my mom to comment.

"Layla, that's awful." Despite her words, my mom seemed more amused than upset.

"Well, Warren really didn't seem to mind." I muttered, getting up to grab my coat and backpack from the sofa. I gave my mom a goodbye kiss on the cheek before walking out of the house.

Getting to school was basically a blur, since I could barely keep my mind off of Warren. My mom was right, if I wanted to get anything clear I had to be the one to talk to him. I spent the entire bus ride building up the nerve to confront Warren in person.

As I got off the bus, I found him almost immediately. As usual, he was sitting by the steps in front the school, book in hand. An unknown confidence built in me as I stormed towards him. By the look on his face, he definitely wasn't expecting me to do this.

The moment I was close enough, I grabbed onto the collar of his leather jacket, pulling him towards me and firmly pressing my lips against his.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary: Warren only agreed to go to homecoming to make Will jealous, but what happens when emotions are added into the equation?**

We stood there kissing for what seemed like forever before I finally pulled away. This time, he was the one left in shock.

"There. We're even." I declared, though my voice was barely a whisper. Warren just stared at me, still not removing his hands from my waist.

I pulled away, ignoring the stray stares as I walked into the building. I wasn't surprised to find Magenta chasing after me. I had never, I mean _never_ , done anything so ballsy in my life.

"You just kissed the most intimidating, badass guy in this school, and left him speechless. Layla Williams, you are a goddess." Magenta grinned, pretending to bow down. I laughed at her excitement as I opened my locker. The honeysuckle inside perked up immediately, reflecting my confidence.

This lasted for about four seconds, until I caught a glimpse of Will heading in my direction.

Oh crap.

"Layla, please tell me you didn't kiss Warren Peace." Will looked like I had stabbed him in the back, which further fueled my residual anger from the party.

"What can I say? He's a good kisser." I shrugged, closing my locker and walking away from him with Magenta in tow.

"Layla, the guy hates me. I thought you were my friend!" Will yelled after me, and I resisted the urge to smack him.

"And I thought you were mine." I yelled, not looking back as I continued to walk away. I made it to my next class, ignoring people's stares and whispers and focusing on Magenta's conversation about homecoming.

As per usual, class was centered on the best way to support a hero. It only proved why the entire hero-sidekick dichotomy was awful, which is exactly why I rarely ever used my powers as a weapon unless absolutely necessary. I glanced up at the clock, wanting to be anywhere but here.

I couldn't help but feel relieved when the bell rang. I began walking to my locker, only to see Warren Peace leaning against it, waiting for me.

"Hey hothead." I greeted, pulling open my locker.

"What the hell was that this morning?" His tone was calm, despite the harsh words.

"You were taking too long to make a move." I shrugged, grinning as I caught sight of his exasperated expression. This was just too much fun.

"Hippie, I'm not the dating type." I couldn't help but laugh at that.

"Is that why you kissed me?" I asked, putting my hands on my hips as I waited. Warren scowled, yet didn't say anything in response. Underneath all of his leather and tattoos, he was truly just a big softie.

"I'm not like Stronghold. I'm no hero, Layla." Warren pushed me against the adjacent lockers, effectively caging me in his arms as he spoke.

"Well, it's a good thing I'm not a hero either. I'm just a sidekick." I quipped, eliciting a brief chuckle from Warren as he rested his head on my shoulder in defeat. "I like you Warren Peace, and, as much as you pretend to hate it, there is nothing you can do about it." I brought my arms up around his neck, kissing his cheek before pulling away.

"Hippie, get to class." Warren responded with a sigh, nudging me as the bell rang signaling our next period. I closed my locker, rolling my eyes at him as he backed away and headed to his own class. That was probably the closest I would get to Warren confessing his feelings for me.

By the time the school day was over, all anyone was talking about was Warren and I. The entirety of my last class was other students just staring at me and wondering if I was mentally sound. It was only made worse when Warren was waiting for me in front of the school with his bike.

"Get on." He ordered, gently placing his helmet on my head when I was next to him.

"Wait, this thing can fly?" My voice was nothing but a mumble under the heavy helmet.

"Yes, this thing can fly. Get on, you'll be fine." Warren ordered again, not hiding his amusement at my hesitance.

"Please try not to kill me." I pleaded, eliciting a laugh from Warren before climbing on behind him. I wrapped my arms around his waist and before I could react he revved the engine and started driving towards the edge of the school. I couldn't help but shriek and clench my eyes closed as we plummeted.

"Hippie, open your eyes."

I slowly inched open my eyes, the view of the clouds making me laugh. Flying on a motorcycle was an entirely different experience. My fear slowly melted away as we started to approach the ground. Warren landed softly before driving. It wasn't long before pulled into the driveway of my house.

"Come on." I pulled him off of the bike as I got up. He pulled his helmet off of my head before following me inside. The flowers in the foyer brightened as I entered. "My mom works pretty much all day, so I'm alone most of the time." I explained, kicking off my shoes and taking off my backpack as I plopped down on the sofa.

"What about your dad?" Warren asked as he sat down beside me.

"They're divorced. I don't really see him that often." I kept my answer short, not wanting to delve into my many issues with my father. "Anyways, I'm curious. Why did you kiss me the other night?"

"You tried to hit me." I couldn't help but laugh at that. "There aren't many who'd try and hit a guy who can set them on fire." Warren explained.

"So, you're saying you kissed me because I'm seemingly homicidal?" I teased, laughing even harder when he glared.

"No, I kissed you because you just went for it, even though you're about as threatening as a butterfly. And since we're asking questions, why did you show up at the Paper Lantern that night?"

"Honestly, I couldn't stop thinking about you, and after my whole confrontation with Gwen I just wanted to see you." I confessed, though I couldn't help but feel oddly embarrassed.

"You really are an enigma, hippie." Warren chuckled, pulling me with him as he laid down on the sofa. His arm wrapped around my waist as I rested my head on his shoulder. Our bodies seemed to fit together perfectly.

It didn't take long before both of us started to doze off.


End file.
